Design & Trends

Beautiful Wood Flooring & Modern Heritage Design

In an age of typically fleeting trends, Modern Heritage is one that has stayed the course and evolved to become a recognised and increasingly popular interior style. It blends time honoured materials and traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design to create timeless interiors that are grounded, current and comfortable.

Basketweave parquet flooring in a luxury penthouse apartment bedroom with large window and simple modern furnishings.

What DEFINES Modern Heritage STYLE?

Modern heritage style is defined by balance. It mixes old and new, respecting the character and integrity of traditional materials while embracing the needs of modern living. Think clean architectural lines paired with rustic tactile surfaces, or minimalist interiors softened by aged textures. Purchases are considered and chosen to be comfortable, beautiful and enduring.

Plank and parquet floors are both beautiful, but if you like both and don’t know which to choose, the following might help you.

Plank floors are quicker and easier to install than parquet, which means that they will be less expensive to install. They are also a simpler DIY option. That said, parquet floors have an undeniable wow factor, and create a feature all on their own. This is one of the reasons that they are such a popular choice for hallways, which can often be difficult to furnish due to their size and the need to be able to move through them freely.

Herringbone parquet is also a great solution for unusually shaped rooms such as L shapes or those entered from more than one direction, as the pattern works both ways, whereas plank floors tend to look better in one direction or another.

Plank and parquet floors are both beautiful, but if you like both and don’t know which to choose, the following might help you.

Plank floors are quicker and easier to install than parquet, which means that they will be less expensive to install. They are also a simpler DIY option. That said, parquet floors have an undeniable wow factor, and create a feature all on their own. This is one of the reasons that they are such a popular choice for hallways, which can often be difficult to furnish due to their size and the need to be able to move through them freely.

Herringbone parquet is also a great solution for unusually shaped rooms such as L shapes or those entered from more than one direction, as the pattern works both ways, whereas plank floors tend to look better in one direction or another.

Wood Flooring AND Modern Heritage Style

Unsurprisingly, wood flooring is often a key element of modern heritage style. Unlike synthetic alternatives, real wood floors bring warmth, depth, and authenticity to a room. They are inherently luxurious but still comfortable and practical ; they look elegant but feel fabulous underfoot; they create a genuinely timeless foundation that only gets better with age and never feels dated.

Oak flooring full of character and texture brings reassuring gravitas to modern spaces, somehow making them feel classic even when they’re filled with minimalist contemporary furniture or accessories in this season’s brightest tones. Oak as a material is naturally versatile, adapts easily to changing decorative styles and sits comfortably alongside almost any colour scheme, which is probably why it has been a cornerstone of British architecture for centuries and why is would always be our choice to underpin modern heritage design.

 

Broadleaf parquet flooring in double herringbone pattern in modern heritage style living room.

Double Herringbone Pattern Vintage Parquet Flooring

Sirocco Oak Extra Wide Plank Flooring

Oak Flooring Ideas for a Modern Heritage Look

Wide Oak floors offer a more modern twist on the modern heritage theme, bringing a calm, contemporary elegance to period rooms or interiors filled with more traditional furnishings.

Textured Oak floors bring character and visual interest, perfect for modern rooms that lack architectural features or large open plan spaces. Try our Textured Nuances Collection for plank and parquet options that are tactile but not too rustic.

Parquet flooring has an inherently heritage feel and is also an effortless way to add character to a modern interior. A parquet floor no longer means hours of sanding and a super smooth ‘icerink finish. Modern solutions like our Nuances or Original Vintage Parquet are fully finished, ready to walk on and easy to look after.

For the perfect modern heritage mix lay a vintage parquet floor without a border or in a more contemporary brickwork design. Alternatively, keep your parquet flooring contemporary as a foundation to more classic or traditional furnishings – think elegant chevron oak flooring under mid century furniture.

Broadleaf extra wide oak plank flooring.

Extra Wide Oak Plank Flooring (300mm)

Original Vintage Oak Parquet Flooring

Broadleaf chevron parquet flooring.

Chevron Parquet Flooring

Modern Heritage IS INDIVIDUAL

Modern heritage interiors celebrate individuality. They are curated from carefully chosen individual elements that come together to create a unique and personal space with its own harmony. A traditional sofa reupholstered in modern fabric, modern art in traditional frames, a mix of vintage and contemporary furniture and lighting. Wood floors that are crafted from carefully selected timber and whose knots, grain and warm natural tones make every piece different couldn’t be a better match for this style.

Quality is key, as it sustainability. Modern heritage is not throw away fashion – it is considered and thoughtful, prioritising craftsmanship, durability and responsible sourcing. Recycled, repurposed and second hand purchases sit alongside antique, craftsman made or investment purchases that will stand the test of time. Here again, beautiful, responsibility sourced wood flooring is a perfect match – a once in a lifetime purchase that will last for generations.

Broadleaf extra wide plank flooring in an English heritage boutique hotel reception

Worn Oak Extra Wide Plank Flooring

Aged Oak Vintage Parquet Flooring

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